Top 10 Books To Read In 2021

The years 2020 and 2021 have been something out of a movie because of the pandemic our lives changed drastically. It brought about worldwide lockdowns, and we have been left with little to keep ourselves busy. Most people now work from home, and social gatherings have been banned.

The good news is that we now have more time to do things we enjoy. If you are a fan of reading, new books are released every month. Some of them cover important social and political issues in a riveting way. Here are the top ten books that will entertain and educate you at the same time. 

• The push by Ashley Audrain

This book is a psychological thriller that you have to read. It’s about an expectant mother who plans to create the bond she craved from her mother with her daughter. But when she gives birth to Violet, her daughter, she realizes that something is not right.  

While you’re reading the book and following Blythe’s tragic events, you’ll be left with questions about her sanity and the story she’s telling. This book has a film in the works as well. You can look for book and movie review to ensure you understand the film.

• White feminism: from the suffragettes to influencers and who they leave behind by Koa Beck

Koa Beck is a former executive editor at Vogue.com. White feminism stands to disapprove of the white face featured feminism that has been the main focus for a long time. She uses this book to shine a light on gender rights and oppression all through history.

She gives a detailed historical analysis of how modern-day feminism was created and the privileged in society. She provides analysis that ranges from Seneca Falls to the National Organization of Women and the Wing, which was recently cancelled. 

The book illustrates how a deliberate decision is made to exclude women of colour and their issues from the feminist table. Beck’s book discusses the threat faced by women of colour and racism issues by comparing it to patriarchy.  The call to action is, how can we tear down this bias feminism and create our inclusive movement to support all women?

• Be your own commander in chief by Yuri Kruman

Journeying to gain more success than what we already have, is affecting workplaces on a grand scale. So, Yuri Kruman, a Chief People Officer and HR specialist wrote this book packing it with tools and instructions.

Those tools are supposed to help us learn more about finding transparency and empowerment in a modernized work setting. The book is quite long but worth it, so grab yourself a copy.

• The final revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton

The novel is a must-read, especially for its unforgettable protagonist. Dawnie’s vision was brought to life in this captivating docudrama with an aspect of rock and roll. The book tells a story about Opal, a black American man who is one member of an Afropunk duo. 

The other half of the duo is Nev, a white, British man. Its setting is based in New York in the 1970s. It talks about how their road to fame is met by racial upheaval. The two reunite decades later, and the ghosts of the past are reborn. The need to face and confront the past brings out the importance of speaking one’s truth.

• The 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

To celebrate their son’s 19th anniversary murder, Lord and Lady Hardcastle throw a party. They invite the same guests who were there when the murder happened years back. As the party goes on, Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered at 11 pm.  Lord Hardcastle, in his devastation, hires a detective to look into his wife’s murder.

Aidan Bishop, a detective, is tasked with finding out, the truth from eight different perspectives the witnesses gave him. This book, being a thriller, will give your brain a good jog making you analyze the same events from different angles. Filled with a lot of mystery and fun twists, you are sure to enjoy this book.

• Living nations, living words: an anthology of first people’s poetry by Joy Harjo

Harjo is the first Native American poet laureate, she created a virtual digital map. This map was to draw modern America’s attention to many Native American poets. This anthology is somewhat a companion featuring Ray Young Bear, Craig Santos Perez, and Natalie Diaz’s voices.

Their poems stand to celebrate the critical roles of Native poets in American literature and give a trip in history. The poems touch on the Native Americans’ heritage, struggle, and displacement.  

• Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu

Nadia Owusu walks you through the events that occurred in her young life. In her memoir, she tells us how her stepmother came into the picture after her Armenian American mother left.

To escape her cruel stepmother’s claws, she starts working for her father, which takes her across continents. She writes in search of meaning, not order. She looks back into her life and tries to piece back together with her scattered memories.

• Let me tell you what I mean by Joan Didion

This is a collection of works extracted from the early years of her career. Whether you are a fan of Didion or not, you can’t miss out on this book.

• Infinite country by Patricia Engel

Engel tends to bring out individuality to stories often told in demography and two-minute news coverage. In her book, violence is sustained by people who hold high positions as coworkers and children kill each other. Follow the story circling the deportation of a Colombian immigrant to understand Engel’s frustration and sadness.

• The removed by Brandon Hobson

After the Echota family loses their son Ray-Ray to a police shooting, their lives take a drastic turn. Ray-Ray’s father dementia worsens, his brother battles drug addiction, and his sister lives a secluded life. They seem to find some consolation after taking in a foster as Ray-Rays death anniversary approaches.

Closing remarks

With a lot of time on our hands, it is important that we find constructive ways to spend it. Reading books is one of the constructive activities. You expand your knowledge from what you learn and expand your vocabulary and challenge yourself mentally. It is said, “A good book is like a good friend.” you now have the list of ten friends you can make this year.